Contributed
Maria Bowers
Irving School Crossing Guard Maria Bowers is in the running for Safe Kids’ America’s Favorite Crossing Guard contest.
Bowers is competing against more than 50 other crossing guards from across the country. The winner will be selected based on the number of tes cast at safekids.org/crossing-guard. Voting is open until Jan. 31.
Bowers runs a “walking school bus” for the Derby elementary school, walking through Irving’s neighborhood and escorting students to school.
She makes sure they stay on the sidewalk and follow the safety rules, so the children make it to school safely.
In addition to providing student safety, school administrators say Bowers has helped improve attendance at the school.
“She works in many roles as our school crossing guard, attendance coordinator and an all-around friend to the children who need an extra boost to have a good day,” the nomination for Bowers states. “She is an asset to our school and an amazing part of our community.”
A panel of judges will review the top five crossing guards and pick an overall winner. Safe Kids will come to the winning school to celebrate with a pep rally and celebration. The winner’s school will receive a $500 grant, and the crossing guard will also win prizes.
Safe Kids and FedEx launched the America’s Favorite Crossing Guard campaign to raise awareness about the tremendous contribution that crossing guards make to protect kids in school zones.
“With teen pedestrian deaths on the rise and kids and drivers more distracted than ever, crossing guards are our unsung champions,” said Kristin Rosenthal, Program Manager for U.S. Pedestrian and Bike Safety at Safe Kids Worldwide. “They are out there rain or shine, even in the coldest of winter mornings, to ensure a safe journey for our kids around schools.”
“At FedEx, we are committed to protecting kids on the road,” said Rose Flenorl, manager, FedEx Global Citizenship.” America’s Favorite Crossing Guard is a unique opportunity for Safe Kids Worldwide and FedEx to join together to raise awareness about the important work crossing guards do every day across the United States and to encourage students, parents and communities to show appreciation to these unsung civic heroes.”
Safety in school zones is more important than ever. A research report released in October by Safe Kids Worldwide, made possible with support from FedEx, revealed that school zones can be unsafe places for students. The research, “Alarming Dangers in School Zones,” is an observational study that included 39,000 walkers and 56,000 drivers in school zones and recorded risky behaviors, including distracted walking by students, distracted driving by those dropping off, unsafe speed limits, unmarked crosswalks and limited crossing guards.
The research revealed that about 80 percent of students were observed crossing the street in an unsafe manner. And nearly one in three drivers displayed unsafe behaviors that endangered student pedestrians, like texting, double parking or blocking a crosswalk.
Press release from Griffin Hospital.
